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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Hopefully, too many women won't get upset when they read this. If they read the entire blog post, then I wouldn't expect them to be mad.

Anyhoo, growing up as a 70' s baby, I only knew about women in the kitchen when it came to cooking. I didn't know any men who cooked for the family. Sure, the occasional cookouts would have men on the grill, but in the kitchen? Nope.

Fast forward to 2013 and it's a whole new world. Women are no longer expected to rule the kitchen in many modern households. Although this is the case, I'm not sure that a lot of men got the memo because I know plenty of them who cannot cook!

And that's what is so tripped out about it. You would think that as women evolved to not being able to cook that men would catch on and take up the slack, but that's far from the case. I have two friends who are single fathers and of course, they can throw down a nice meal at the drop of a hat. But, I know tons of other guys who are microwaving frozen dinners at age 40 and don't even know how to make a pot of coffee. A typical dinner for them is either a salisbury steak with a frozen center or a bowl of cereal.

So, fellas, step things up in 2013. Learn how to cook, especially if you're under 30. The odds of you finding a woman who enjoys cooking is a lot slimmer these days than when my dad was dating.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I think that today's kids need a history lesson. I don't mean the traditional history like in school, but a pop culture history lesson. They need to know that there were people in the world before Kim Kardashian, Snooki, and Justin Beiber.

I've been dating a single mom who has kids that range from 11 - 18 years old. They're good kids (all girls) and are very entertaining. However, if I crack a joke about anything that happened before the mid '90s, then I get a "deer in headlights" look from them. My god kids are the same way. Anything that happened before they were 3 years old escapes them.

Now, to my younger readers, that may seem normal, but to people my age or older, it's not. When I was growing up, TV was a family event. We had two TV's, but the biggest and best-looking TV was in the den where the family watched together. So, we had to decide as a unit what to watch which usually meant that my parents made the decision. Because of this, I watched a lot of shows and movies that were made way before I was born.

Parents these days don't normally watch TV with their kids, so the kids have the freedom to choose programming. And we all know that if you allow a child freedom, then the odds are they're only going to watch mainstream programming. Parents allowing the TV to "babysit" their children is one of the main reason why kids don't really know a lot about the world in regards to pop culture. They don't know "Who Shot J.R." or have an idea who "Jack Tripper" was. They only know the "now."

Thanks to my parents, I have a great appreciation for the things that occurred before I was born. In fact, I watched "Dragnet," "Gilligan's Island," "Gidget," and "Get Smart," to name a few. In fact, some of my favorite people and things were born/created before I even took my first breath.

Muhammad Ali was always an inspiration to me despite the fact that he was past his prime by the time I got to 2nd grade. He was the first celebrity athlete, but a lot of people don't remember his ads for D-Con Roach Traps. My father is the reason that I love boxing and after my generation dies, I think that boxing will with it unless they get more sensible about pay per view pricing.

My favorite singer of all-time died seven years before I was even born. My parents had four Sam Cooke records and I would wear them out whenever they left the house. I never even saw a photo of him until I was almost a teen-ager yet he was my favorite.

Aside from the crush that I had on Lucille Ball, her show, "I Love Lucy," was absolutely hilarious. Of course at the time, I didn't know that her and Ricky Ricardo were credited with being the first interracial couple on TV. I just enjoyed the antics that Lucy got into on the show. I would advise anyone of any age to watch this if given the chance. Somehow I doubt that "Vitameatavegamin" means anything to anyone under 35.

Oh, I remember Westerns. I'm sure my buddies, Squatlo or Mooner, appreciate a good western movie as well. My favorite is "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. It was released four years before I was born, but thanks to my father, I gave it a chance and enjoyed it as well as many others. "Westworld," "Buck & The Preacher," and even "The Terror of Tiny Town" from 1938 which starred an entire cast of little people.

I made my god kids sit down to watch "Tom & Jerry" with me and I'm glad that they did. They are 10 and 6 and both of them laughed harder than I've seen with any Spongebob episode they've watched in my presence. "Tom & Jerry," "Rocky & Bullwinkle" and "Looney Tunes" are always cartoons of choice whenever they come over. "Spongebob Squarepants" is still their favorite, but at least they were willing to give the old stuff a try.

And that's all I'm asking my readers, who are parents or mentors, to do. Sit a child down and at least attempt to get them to appreciate the classics. Sure, the special effects may not be as good. And yes, the actors/actresses may be unknown to them. Heck, it may even be in black and white. But, there was real talent back then. Not this reality show garbage with people willing to punch someone in the face for a buck, but people who were born entertainers.

It can go a long way towards them learning how to embrace the past and respect it as well. It's not cute when a teen asks you what an iPhone looked like in the 80's or did you follow Michael Jackson on Twitter after his Thriller video came out. Not a good look at all.

Now, if you don't mind, I need to update my Netflix queue for my girlfriend's kids. They haven't a clue who "E.T." is. (SMH)

Do you take the time to try and teach your kids to appreciate the classics?

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Okay, I need to step on my soap box for a bit. Let me start off by saying that I'm not perfect. However, one thing that I am is fair. Unfortunately, that's a trait that has gone the way of the dinosaur. As a blogger and talk radio show host, I read/hear a lot of opinions from people all over the world. It's so sad to me that people think the way that they do. I'm not just talking about a difference of opinions because that will happen. I'm talking about how a lot people argue their opinions: with emotions.

You cannot debate something based on emotions. Let me repeat: you cannot debate something based on emotions. You can only debate something with logic. Logic contains facts and facts are what win debates.

Emotions are important in everyday living, but they generally make a person unreasonable in debates. They can cause you to repeat your argument, but only louder, to attempt to make a point. They make you feel personally attacked in an argument that's not even about you. They make you say stupid things like "just because" which is what people say when they don't have facts to support their argument. You're just emotional.

But, let me get back to the fairness thing again. What's bothering me is how people allow their emotions to do/say something that they absolutely know is wrong or unfair to another. Here's an example: a man will father a child with someone he won't marry. He and the woman get into an argument and because he doesn't like her, he won't support his child.

That's the epitome of stupid to me. A man who denies his child because his feelings got hurt is a punk. There's just no arguing that. Regardless if that woman cheated on you with your best friend, the child still has to eat, be clothed and medicated regularly at a cost. If a guy fails to see that because of the tears in his eyes over a woman, then he's a shell of a man.

Now, before you ladies stand up and clap, this foolishness applies to you, too. In fact, despite the fact that women are said to mature quicker than men, that maturity is sometimes reduced by your emotions. This is why we see the most popular reality shows with a predominantly female cast. Because there isn't a shortage of women willing to turn a small disagreement into World War III. Feeling the need to be right at the expense of others is the reason why so many of you are single and/or without friends.

It's a shame that our country is so volatile and that it thrives on divisiveness. Black vs. white. Young vs. old. Democrats vs. Republicans. Men vs. women. All of this debating fueled with emotion instead of logic is why this country is filled with stupid people. And stupid people have stupid children. If you don't believe me, then follow a dumb kid home and see if someone just as dumb doesn't answer the door.

It is so frustrating to assume that each time I go into a debate, whether it's a serious topic or even something as trivial as sports, that I may be the only person with reasoning and facts behind my argument. The other person may just have some emotional attachment to whatever it is they're supporting without any other debate ammunition. I can definitely say that I truly understand why this country is deeper in a rut with each passing day, morally and financially.

We blame Obama, we blame teachers, we'll even blame the kid down the street and everyone else instead of ourselves. We never blame ourselves. After all, we can't be wrong because what we're saying "feels right."

Sunday, May 19, 2013

You know that I'm all about promoting and helping others. Well, this time, I'm actually helping some of you! T2Q friend of the show, Miss Mylauney Billups, is doing something to give back to others and you can't afford to say "no."

The 21 Days to Address, Adjust & Activate Your Life is like a summer camp for ladies 18 and older. With daily "assignments," Mylauney heightens awareness as well as educates. Self-improvement should always be important to us and this e-course promotes just that by doing the following:

Address past and current issues that may be holding you back.

Adjust your position and point your life in the direction you desire.

Activate the power within you so that you can fully enjoy life.

Every day for 21 days you will receive an email that will contain a daily theme and exercise for you to complete. Here is what will be covered in this course:

Day 1: Affirm Me- How To Create Affirmations and Personal Mantras!Day 2: My Daily Routine- How To Create A Routine That Enforces Good Habits!Day 3: Check Yourself- What You Can Do To Be and Feel Fresh Even On A Bad Day!Day 4: I Love Me- What Self Love Really Is and How You Can Have It!Day 5: What A Mighty Good Man- Tried and True Ways To Make Any Man Feel Good!Day 6: Before I Kick The Bucket- How To Get Started Doing The Things You’ve Always Wanted To Do!
Day 7: Sweet Sensations- Using Your Senses To Increase Your Lust For Life!Day 8: List Of Bliss- Finding and Creating Bliss In Your Life!Day 9: Dealing With Healing- How To Heal Past Hurts!Day 10: Forgive Me- How To Forgive Yourself and Get Rid Of Guilt and Shame For Good!Day 11: Mission I’m Possible- How To Identify Your Purpose In Life!Day 12: Goal Digger- How To Point and Position Yourself In The Direction Of Your Dreams!Day 13: Master Mind- Using Knowledge To Your Advantage!Day 14: Change Is Constant- What You Can Do To Create Long Lasting Change In Your Life!Day 15: Clean House- How To Clear, Clean and Add Spice To Your Home!Day 16: Filter- How To Block Negative Influences!Day 17: Poof Be Gone- How To Identify and Remove The Wrong People From Your Life!Day 18: Hello- Easy Ways To Make New Connections With People!Day 19: Variety- Sure Fire Ways To Add Flavor To Your Life!Day 20: Bless You- How Being A Blessing Can Bring About More Blessings!Day 21: Turn The Page- What To Do To Celebrate The Ending Of This Chapter and Begin A New One!

Mylauney is releasing this course June 3rd, right before the Summer really kicks off, so that you can enjoy your Summer with a new found zest for life! But you can pre-register now for only $2.99!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Okay, so I'm watching "Scandal" a few weeks ago and I'm tripping over what I'm seeing. For those not familiar, this show is one of the more popular shows on primetime TV and it's very interesting. Creative and twisted writing has made it a show that I would advise anyone to watch.

The show makes you wonder what exactly goes through a man's mind to make him cheat. For those who haven't watched the show (or Season 2 - SPOILER starts), the President of the United States is "whipped" has fallen deeply in love with his side chick (main character of the show). The side chick no longer wants anything to do with him unless he "earns" her.

The 2013 side chick's motto: "earn me."

Wait. What? The side chick is making demands? Only in 2013, where the sense of entitlement is at an all-time high in the U.S., would a "jump off" say that you need to "earn me." The fact that she's a side chick means that she came cheaply anyway and now she wants to go to the negotiation table? "Child, please."

Anyway, the Prez decides the only way to "earn her" is to show the side chick that he loves her more than anything. The First Lady threatens the Prez by telling him that if he doesn't repair their marriage that she's going to expose his affair on national television. What does the Prez do? He lets her do just that. In fact, the Prez not only allows his wife to expose his marriage on national television, but he allows the First Lady to do it while he's banging the side chick. He basically throws away his presidency over the side chick. (SPOILER ends)

Wow. When presented with the choice of "coochie or power," he chose "coochie." Now that's some strong stuff right there! I don't want to meet anyone capable of putting that on me to make me throw away my career. Yeah, you can argue that he loves her, but a married man who cheats doesn't have a lot of credibility when it comes to love, if you ask me.

I remember when I was in high school, rapper, Ice-T, had a song entitled "Power." One of the lyrics from that song is quoted as followed: "The power of sex, if man could overthrow it he'd be king in a day; No way. We'd get rich, hard, and give it away."

He was basically talking about how men would throw away everything for sex including being a king. When I heard that song as a teen-ager, I didn't understand it the depths of that lyric. However, I now understand it completely as a 41 year old. I've seen countless politicians, numerous co-workers and even friends throw away their marriage because they were dwelling on the "in-between."

Yes, everyone says that it's a "man's world," but those who are educated know that is the farthest thing from the truth.

Bill was almost a real-life "Scandal" episode.

Tiki left his wife 8 months pregnant with twins and threw away his job for the side chick.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

What makes a model a model? At one time, we only saw one kind of model. These days, there are tons of different flavors of models thanks to the internet.

But, despite so many different versions of modeling being available, there are still some groups that don't get the same respect as the "original" models.

The 2013 model is more about confidence than ever before because they're taking something different and making it commonplace. It's the new style of defining what beauty truly is. Beauty is truly within the eye of the beholder and no magazine or industry "expert" can tell anyone otherwise.

Gone are the days where you only saw the skinny, long-haired models. Today's models are of all shapes, colors and hair styles and Google has made them mainstream.

Take my example to the right, Dazia Moore. She's a beautiful, young lady and is an example of a modern day model. Like Dazia, today's models are more likely to be curvy, may have a tattoo or two and may not ever be known for strutting down a runway.

They aren't blonde like the "traditional" Brooklyn Decker types or tall like the leggy Gisele Bundchen types. Some come off as everyday women who are more realistic to what we see in everyday life. And I think that's what a majority of their followers appreciate about them. These aren't ladies who are regurgitating meals to conform to an unnatural standard. These are ladies who take what they have and make it look good.

So, when someone mentions the word "model," don't think of the stick figure walking across a runway wearing an outfit that no one outside of the traditional modeling agency could ever wear. Think about the girl next door with a few lights, makeup and a little pizazz.

Here are some examples below of the different flavors you'll find online:

Urban - Most would say "Urban" is just a nice way of saying "black" or "Latina." I would personally prefer that people use the term "Curvy" modeling since "Urban" can come off as offensive to some. These ladies bring back the days of Marilyn Monroe's "Coke bottle figure."

Kimmi Kennedy

Fitness - These models aren't necessarily new and kind of fall in line with the traditional swimsuit models. You've seen them compete on ESPN in pageants and they will probably eventually be even more popular than the traditional runway models some day.

Bry Jensen

Ink Candy - By many people, a tattoo is considered art within itself. Add it to a flawless canvas and you have a newer and increasingly popular style of model. I see more and more new tattoo model magazine on stands than ever now.

China Dolle

Goth - Although their photos are generally dark in nature, some of these models are still pretty popular. With movies like "Twilight" and shows like "True Blood" being so popular, a lot of people have adopted the "vampire look."

Unknown

Fantasy - A lot of these models can be found at Comic Con or Sci-Fi conventions. From Princess Leia to a typical fairy, these models put in a lot of effort to prepare for a shoot given the amount of makeup and the types of costumes they wear.

Unknown

Social Network - Now, these folks just have the entire game messed up. (Sigh) Taking a photo in bathrooms or in messy bedrooms is just foul. Please stop.

Call 1-800-4No Duck

Does the word "modeling" mean the same thing to you as it id 10, 20, 30 years ago?

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Here in Mississippi, racism is still alive and thriving. Not just with white people, but people of all races. There are a lot of black people who think that blacks can't be racist, but I think that is inaccurate and a story for another day.

A local high school student recently tweeted, "I (bleeping) hate (African-American slur). And I don't care how bad that sounds. I really do."

Because the tweet was sent during school hours, it gives the school the right to suspend the young lady and / or send her to an alternative school. The school, Brandon High, is 30% black and there were plenty of students there angered by the tweet.

I watched the local news that night and the next day and saw at least six interviews with two students and four adults who have ties to the school. All six of them said that the girl should at least be suspended. They were hard on her and appeared to want to make an example of her.

Now, for those who are new to my blog, I'm black. However, here's the angle of my blog post:

It's been days since this has occurred and everyone who has been interviewed is on their "high horse" about how wrong the girl is and what should be done to her. I get that. She should be dealt with in some fashion, but why isn't anyone showing concern for the fact that she hates them and doesn't care how bad it sounds?

How do we know that she wasn't beaten by black kids everyday on her way to school? How do we know that some black kid didn't steal her sweetheart for the second or third time? How do we know that maybe one of her teachers, who is black, has mistreated her?

Again, is she wrong for the tweet? Yes! But, she's a child! Something drove her to say what she said and that's more important than the actual tweet! If it's something that a white person doesn't understand about a culture, then education is the key to overcoming that ignorance. The same applies to all races. There is way too much information at our fingertips for us to not get along with one another. Have a conversation and stop putting a bucket under the leak instead of just fixing the sink!

Monday, May 6, 2013

I hate zero tolerance. If you don't think that there's an exception to every rule, then more than likely, I may think you're an idiot. Please watch the short video below:

Now, first of all, this argument has been turned into a religious argument, but it's more about the rule itself. The rule states that no one can make hand gestures. Now, what exactly that means is a matter of interpretation. However, you essentially can't celebrate during the event. How dumb is that?

Now, I understand that people take celebrating too far at times, but to ban celebrating completely? Why is it that zero tolerance only applies to kids, but adults get all sort of second and third chances? Kids can't bring plasticware to some schools because they can be used as weapons. Athletic kids can't accept money from anyone while in college despite not being allowed to have jobs. Kids can get expelled from school for dancing if it's considered provocative.

There's not a zero tolerance on drunk driving. There's not a zero tolerance on adultery. There's not a zero tolerance on the things our elected officials do that sabotage our country.

So, why do adults, who are supposed to know better, getting a pass when the under-21's are not? Why is it okay to do those things that I listed for adults, but you can't celebrate (even on the sly) for achieving greatness? Are we to the point that we're on the verge of having robots compete in athletic events? It's the best way to achieve the "no hand gestures, no emotions" rule, if so.

I think that it's sad that these kids aren't allowed to make a run at a championship over a gesture. A gesture that most people probably didn't even notice as this kid crossed the finish line. How crazy is it that buying an automatic weapon can be done with little-to-no restrictions, but winning a race has strict guidelines?

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

I'm a geek. I love electronics and I can read articles and listen to podcasts on them for hours at a time. However, sometimes, enough is enough. These electronic companies like Samsung, LG, etc. are going to run themselves out of business for being so greedy. Everyone wants to create the next great thing every other month. It's like crack.

Standard definition television was good enough for over 50 years until high definition came along. Once HD arrived, the televisions flew off of the shelves. This made the greedy electronic companies very excited! Instead of perfecting the HDTV to get through the next 50 years of television, they decided to release a 3D television just a few years later. Then SmartTVs became the rage. Although I'm not sure how smart it was to create a TV that can do the exact same thing as my Xbox 360, Blu Ray player, Roku and home theater receiver does. Sounds dumb to me. Redundant much? Do I really need four or five devices that give me Hulu Plus and Netflix access? Can't TV's just be TV's?

A few months from now, Ultra HDTVs will be the next big thing. Because HD-3D television isn't enough. I'm guessing we're not too far from actors coming to our houses to perform the shows we like to watch. After all, it doesn't get much realer than that.

Cell phones are the same way, if not worse. Samsung currently has 44 different types of cell phones on display at their website. 44! And those are just the smartphones, not including the flip phones. Why would anyone need 44 different types of phones to sell? Oh, I know why! Because every month, they have to try to come out with the next iPhone killer. Instead of worrying about competition for Siri, why not do like Motorola and focus on improving battery life?

Click to enlarge and read the comparisons.

Apple is the same with their iPad. Every year, there's a new iPad and it's basically the same as the last. The only difference is a little more memory here, a different color there and an extra feature. That will be $450, thank you very much. You know that new iPads compare about the same to old iPads because they're roughly the same price. If anything major was different about them, then it would seem that the price margin would have more of a gap. To Apple's credit, they've sold more of the almost exact same product than any company that comes to mind. Their marketing department is legendary! How many people reading this just looked up and saw their iPhone, iPod and iPad mini charging next to one another?

I wish these companies would just slow down already! People are catching on to the fact that every new item you put out is basically the last version with one or two more add-ons. Try looking at successful models like the Xbox and follow their lead. It released its first model and 2001 and didn't come out with the Xbox 360 until a presidential term later. Now, they're rumored to come out with the Xbox 720 (prototype name) at the end of this year, eight years after the 360. Not only have they taken their time to perfect their product, they've also allowed time for their previous product to actually sell! Imagine that!

It sucks as a consumer because something you buy today is rendered irrelevant in less than two years. I bought a Blu Ray player from Samsung three years ago. It would receive updates to the firmware roughly every other month. Well, the updates stopped after a little over a year because the model had been discontinued. A new model was out, so they stopped supporting the model that I expected to have for the next five years.

Needless to say, I'll never buy another Blu Ray player from Samsung again. Not just because they kicked my player to the curb in such a short time, but also because they rejected my (honest) review of their product from their website. That's right. Samsung picks and choose which product reviews they'll allow. I'm guessing the fact that I said the device "requires me to enter time/date during setup yet was too rushed for them to even have a clock display on it" was offensive to them.

People don't need a new HDTV every two or thee years. And with two year agreements being the norm with cell phone crooks companies, people don't need a new phone every six months. You companies will have to learn the hard way when you have all of this merchandise sitting in your warehouses with nowhere to go. Best Buys are already shutting down across the country because they can't live on holiday sales alone.

Now, I'm far from an expert, but I'm just playing a hunch here. I think companies will start to fold/downsize within a year or two due to lost revenue. There are just some instances where technology needs to slow down. We've figured out how you operate. Take your time and give us a product worthy of the astronomical prices that you're charging.